Odense

Named after Odin, chief of the pagan gods, Odense (pronounced Own-suh) is over a thousand years old. An attractive little place, with a lush location on the River Odense Å, it has an engaging cultural scene and a surprisingly energetic nightlife with a focus on live music: it’s one of Denmark’s most enchanting destinations. The city’s inner core is a network of cobbled streets flanked by photogenic medieval houses.

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Hans Christian Andersen Hus

The city’s (perhaps the country’s) best attraction is the Hans Christian Andersen Hus, where the writer was born in 1805. The museum includes a library of Andersen’s works and audio recordings of some of his best-known fairytales read by the likes of Sir Laurence Olivier. There’s also intriguing paraphernalia including school reports, manuscripts, paper cuttings and drawings from his travels. The most striking feature, aside from the diminutive house itself, is the series of murals by Niels Larsen Stevns (1930) depicting different stages of Andersen’s life. Check out the telling quotes on Andersen’s unconventional looks and talent: “He is the most hideous man you could find but has a poetic childish mind”, commented a contemporary.

Den Fynske Landsby and Odense Zoo

South of the centre is Den Fynske Landsby (Funen Village), a living, breathing nineteenth-century village made up of buildings brought here from all over Funen, including a windmill and a school. In summer free shows are staged at the open-air theatre.

It’s infinitely better, however, to walk to the museum by following the river south about 4km via the ornamental park of Munke Mose. Boats also run there hourly via Odense Zoo, which has Northern Europe’s largest exclusively African safari park.

Skt. Knuds Kirke

On Skt. Knuds Plads just southwest of the Rådhus (town hall) is the crypt of Gothic Skt. Knuds Kirke. It holds the remains of King Knud II and his brother Benedikt, both murdered in 1086 at the altar of nearby Skt. Albani Kirke. Don’t miss the splendiferous gold-leaf-coated altarpiece inside by Lübeck master Claus Berg.

Brandts Arts Complex

West of the centre is the Brandts Arts Complex. Once a large textile mill, the area has been beautifully converted and now features an art school, cinema, music library and three museums. In the large hall that once housed the huge machinery is the Kunsthallen, which displays works by the cream of new talent in art and design, and the Museet for Fotokunst, featuring changing photography exhibitions. On the third floor the Danmarks Mediemuseum chronicles the development of printing, bookbinding and illustrating from the Middle Ages to the present day.